Marisia - Maros Megyei Múzeum Évkönyve 31/1. (2011)
Articles
232 R. ZÄGREANU—ZS. NYÁRÁDI The iron artefacts discoveries at Odorheiu Secuiesc are quite numerous and very interesting. Unfortunately there is no information - stratigraphic notes, drawings or pictures - regarding the conditions of the discovery. There are no specific elements for a closer dating, except for the three vessels which can be dated to the 2nd-3rd century AD. It is not known if the artefacts were found inside the vessels as a hoard, or near it, or probably from a different spot of the area. The only available way to analyse them was by their analogies. The majority of the artefacts were carefully restored. Its presence should be related to the general idea of the existence of a Roman fort at Odorheiu Secuiesc and a local workshop which served the needs of the army and the settlers from the nearby settlement. The farming tools were: six share plows, one coulter of a plow, three sickles, two brush axes and one vine knife (see Appendix). Although not identical, the share plows are the product of the same workshop made in the same technique. They have close analogies in Dacia and except one they can be include to the Henning-Hl type. The brush axes, the sickles and the vine knife seem to be the products of the same workshop. Carpenter tools consisted of tree axes, three adzes, two chisels, two froes and one socket iron axe. These were all tools used for wood processing; probably one of the most common works in the area. Except one of the froes and a chisel, all the tools are well preserved, like they have not been used at all, probably new products done for a future possible costumer. The craft tools certify the existence of a local blacksmith workshop. The beak shaped anvil is an artefact which is very rare in Dacia, with only two other finds from Märculeni (Glodariu Et Al. 1970, 216, fig. 15/4; 27/14) and Räcari (Tudor 1965, fig. 5/18). The other tools - a chisel and two awls - were used for crafting metal boards. Pieces that can be classified in this category are few and show their high value for craftsmen who perhaps have generally passed them down from generation. The local blacksmith workshop was specialized to produce weapons and harness components. We have three spear heads and a ballista bolt-head. An interesting artefact is a fragment of a bit. The two-link snaffle was used beginning with the Iron Age till the Roman period. Complete examples are rare but the distinctive form of the links makes possible to identify fragments with a high degree of certainty. A typical link is relatively short rod with a loop at each end; the loops of one link are set in the same plane, those of the other at right angles to each other. The loops holding the side rings are often widened into short tubes (Manning 1985, 57). Rings without attached links can rarely be identified as coming from bits, possible the present links could be from a bit as well. Household tools are represented by knives, keys and a big number of links, hold fasts and nails. All of them were used at various constructions. Some of the holdfasts and the nails are in very good condition while others seem to be used, maybe at the construction of the workshop. Anyway, their presence along with artefacts that seem to be unfinished could prove that the whole discovery comes from a blacksmith workshop. If it can be admitted that these objects consist a hoard, it should be noticed that hidden storage deposits with a heterogeneous content like the present one, were mainly collected for recycling metal and that could explain the different states of preservation of the objects. They may be the collection of locals, or even of barbarians, who have never had the opportunity to recover the deposit (Benea 2008, 41). But usually the artefacts from these types of discoveries are badly preserved, while a part of the pieces from Odorheiu Secuiesc are in well kept and others seem to be worn-out by intensive use.
